Nutella Zeppole

Let me preface this post by stating these are absolutely in no way good for you. Though they may not nourish the body, they certainly do something spectacular for the soul, in the form of warm, satisfied fuzzies everywhere. I recommend them at least once a year when an indulgence is necessary.

Nutella What-a, you say? I was right there with you during my first dining experience at Cantinetta in Bellevue. The term "zeppole" had never been a part of my vocabulary until that fateful spring evening at the restaurant. But after one exposure to their signature dessert, we fell hard and fast and now they make their way into our mouths and bellies on a semi-annual basis, whenever my husband's birthday and half birthday roll around.

By definition, zeppole are round Italian pastries (read: doughnuts but OH SO MUCH BETTER for the American layman) that have been deep-fried and then rolled in sugar. They can be served as is, but also function as excellent vehicles for fillings such as Nutella (um, yes!), jelly, custard or cream. Personally, I have a pretty strong leaning toward the chocolate varieties and I am told the Cantinetta regulars do too. Our waiter told us about the one time their pastry chef tried to mix it up a bit and exchange the Nutella for some sort of fruit filling. The customers revolted with such severity that the endeavor was dropped immediately.

This particular version incorporates ricotta cheese into the dough and the results are so soft and airy. The fried zeppole are rolled in ginger sugar while they are still warm, and then a mixture of mascarpone cheese and Nutella are piped inside of each pastry. The filling melts inside and makes the dessert absolutely irresistible. My husband always asks that I serve them with an extra dollop of mascarpone for garnish though I would argue that vanilla ice cream makes a mighty fine accompaniment too.

If you don't own a candy/deep-fry thermometer, I would HIGHLY recommend getting one for this recipe. I am by no means a deep-fry expert. In fact for the most part I avoid frying like the plague (as should you), but when life happens and your husband determines deep-fried delectables are his favorite birthday dessert, you do your wifely duty and get on Google and figure out how exactly one deep-fries. As it turns turn out, very carefully. And with a deep-fry thermometer, I assure you. The temperature of the oil is incredibly important here and a step in either direction (too hot or too cold) will land you with hockey pucks as black as charcoal or rounds of blond dough that are raw in the middle and absolutely will not brown. I know this from personal experience. I tried making this recipe once when my thermometer was packed away in moving boxes. I guessed at the oil temperature and the results were not pretty. So throw one in the cart the next time you are at Safeway. You'll find them in the baking aisle.

Also, I feel it's important that I note that the zeppole will turn a pretty dark shade of brown when they are finished frying. I always think I'm on the verge of burning them (they somehow look darker in the oil than out) but as long as your oil temperature is where it should be, they should be fine cooking for a full 5 minutes. If you are working with an electric stove (like I currently am), it can be a bit tricky to hold the oil temperature steady. You may find you need to pull the skillet off the burner a bit if the oil gets too hot.

I know this post contained a lot of technical details but I promise these puppies are WORTH IT and really don't take that long to pull together (once of course you muster the courage to deep fry). Make a date night of it sometime and make these with your spouse before curling up to watch a movie!

Nutella Zeppole
(adapted from and inspired by our dining experience at Cantinetta)

Batter:
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Filling:
1/2 mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

To finish:
Canola oil, to fry
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
Mascarpone, to serve

To prepare batter: Whisk together flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and mix with dry ingredients until combined. Next, add the ricotta and powdered sugar and mix just until blended.

To prepare filling: In a separate small bowl, mix together mascarpone and Nutella until thoroughly combined. Scoop filling into a gallon-sized zip-lock bag. Cut a small piece off of one of the corners of the zip-lock to create a homemade "piping bag" for filling the doughnuts.

In a third small bowl, combine together sugar and ground ginger and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat until deep-fry thermometer reads 375 degree F. Working in batches, drop tablespoon-sized balls of of batter into the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove zeppole from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Toss doughnut balls in the sugar ginger mixture and roll to coat. Repeat with any remaining batter.

Using a dull dinner knife, insert the blade into one side of each ball and twist the knife gently to create a cavern for the filling (be careful not to poke the knife all the way through). Pipe Nutella filling into each zeppole hole. Serve warm with a dollop of mascarpone.

Serves 6 (about 2 zeppole each)

Spicy Sausage, Cheese and Fresh Basil Lasagna

Want to know the best way to NOT start a food blog? Probably to finally take the plunge and start said food blog and then rarely post on it. In case anyone is wondering, we've been on a wild ride over here at our house! You can read more about it on my personal blog here but essentially we bought a place built in the 90s, we disklike the 90s....you can imagine where this is going. Before we knew what we were doing (seriously!) we found ourselves in the middle of a major remodel that involved altering every single room in our house. That was winter. Then came spring and my focus shifted to exciting this like my new yard and starting a garden. Spring also included a much-needed week away with just my hubby to BREATHE after taking on something as major as buying a home and gutting a good chunk of it with three kids 5 and under.

And so there you have it. I apologize for my absence and I hope to be more present here. I've been wanting to tell you all about this lasagna for a while now. It's one of my favorites! I don't know about you but I often find hosts apologize and say things like "we're just having lasagna" when they have us over to dinner. But I LOVE LASAGNA and I'm like putty in your hands when I'm served it alongside garlic bread and a good salad. Maybe part of the reason I love it when YOU serve it to ME is because I didn't have to make it. My only hang up with lasagna is the process of getting from not having lasagna to having lasagna. It can be quite tedious but like most delicious Italian dishes, they are a labor of love.

I probably only make it myself once or twice a year. And every time I do, I find myself thinking Why didn't I just make two so I could put one in the freezer for later and only do this process once a year? So, address that little issue by doubling up and making two. I'm a genius, I know. Buuuuuuut, even though it's a process, it's so rewarding when you take that first bite. I love this recipe because it includes a good kick from the Spicy Italian Sausage. And the fresh basil thrown in with the ricotta gives it almost a pesto-like flavor so you get the best of both worlds: a marriage between red and white sauces. The sauce here is homemade but I've "cheated" at times and just purchased store bought pasta sauce to save time. I give you permission to do the same as you see fit. Dig in and enjoy and expect this one to become a regular part of your repertoire.

Spicy Sausage, Cheese and Fresh Basil Lasagna
(adapted slightly from Bon Appetit Magazine)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 pound spicy Italian sausages, casings removed (I use Isernio's)

1 cup chopped onion

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes with added puree

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion (do not drain)

Filling:

1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves

1 (15 oz) container plus 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Assembly:

12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce package

3 cups (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (about 12 ounces)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Sauce:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausages, onion, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and sauté until sausage is cooked through, mashing sausage into small pieces with back of fork, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with juices. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled.) If you are using a pre-made sauce, simply brown sausage (casings removed) in a non stick skillet over medium high heat, breaking up meat using the back of a fork as above for about 10 minutes. Then add 1 jar of pre-made red pasta sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes.

Filling:

Using on/off turns, chop fresh basil leaves finely in processor. Add ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using on/off turns, process filling until just blended and texture is still chunky.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles on sauce. Drop 1 1/2 cups filling over noodles, then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering of sauce, noodles, filling and cheeses 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spoon remaining sauce atop noodles. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Spray large piece of foil with nonstick olive oil spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side down.

Bake lasagna 40 minutes. Carefully uncover. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Bake until noodles are tender, sauce bubbles thickly and edges of lasagna are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Transfer to work surface; let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8